Tales from the front-line of a British mummy living in the American land of mommies...

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Not a VW Bonnet In Sight!

So, unsurprisingly since I last wrote, it’s been Halloween–a–go-go round our way. As my last post testified, the Mom/Mum household's schedule the last few weeks, has been full of parties to celebrate the ghouls and goblins in our lives. We’ve had a blast and it will be a Halloween we will always remember.

But, now it’s all over and today as the citizens of America were voting, we were using our day off to take down our gravestones, pumpkin lights and skeleton bones that Him Downstairs had buried in my flower-beds and to sweep up the invading leaves.

As Obama and McCain slogged it out, we sat on the front steps drinking tea and marveling at the 20oC sunshine.

But I digress, what I want to tell you is that, the biggest event on our street Friday night, wasn’t the little Batmen and Doras that came Trick or Treating for candy, it was the appearance of Camel Toe Mom, without her Camel Toe!

I wrote this post Camel Toe Ted about how a neighbour of mine insisted on wearing her Halloween costume too small, giving us all a good glimpse of her lady pocket. But now, with her VW Bonnet not making an appearance this Halloween. I have to report, the night wasn’t quite the same.

However, I was also relieved that I could make small talk with her and not blush in the shadows of the pumpkin light; this year’s Witch costume was far more appropriate for her than last years Teddy Bear.

The night was also a special one for me this year because one of my best friends from the UK was here to share in the Halloween fun. And for all you UK readers who marvel at the American’s penchant for an OTT Halloween, she totally reveled in it.

Our visit together was too short (she’s currently shopped out in Chicago and trying to squeeze through the crowds to get a glimpse of Obama at Grant Park) but it was a very special 48 hrs together that has left me yearning for a trip to the UK.

Most of the time I cope quite well being so very far from my closest girlfriends, but then I have a long phonecall with one of them, or a luxury face-to-face visit and my heart breaks all over again and once more I am a weeping in an airport saying ‘Goodbye’.

Some friendships fall by the wayside when you move abroad, like a snake sheds its skin, I’ve shed some friends (not for the want of trying to maintain regular contact I hasten to add.) But then you have your Golden Oldies. The friends that no matter what continent you live on and how infrequently you see one another, they will always have a place in your heart and you in theirs. To those friends, I say a silent thank you every day. Because it is them that keep me smiling and keep me sane in this crazy world of parenting, in this crazy country I now call ‘home.’

It also helps to keep the fires of friendship burning when they bring you over a job lot of Minstrels, Cadbury's Shots, Curly Wurlies, PG Tips, Branston Pickle and M&S Percy Pigs!

Now that’s what I call a Treat. Wake me up from my sugar coma at the weekend will you?

aaah good friends are friends who you don't see for ages but when you see them again, it's like you last saw them 20 minutes ago. They are the ones you can call after not speaking for 6 months who don't demand why you haven't called but just say hello and how nice it is to hear your voice. You are lucky mom/mum as I think you have lots of lovely friends both home and away. Glad you had such a lovely Halloween and that Camel Toe didn't put in an appearance...maybeshe rotates and it'll be out next year...

'lady pocket'I love it. Have just wet my own from laughing so much. I used to feast on M&S Percy Pigs when I lived in London. I had no idea they still did them. Must put an order in with my Mum for Christmas. By the way, I have just tagged you! TTx

Tara - ohhh you gotta love a bit of Branston and salad cream on a ham and cheese sarnie, D I V I N E!

TT - tagged you say??? You would have wet yerself from fear if you'd seen it in the flesh! I now have quite a stash of Percy Pigs to keep me warm on a cold Michigan evening. Must remember to buy bigger jeans...

About Me

Mother of two boys, wife of one, employed by all three and I didn't even have to have an interview.
I've survived five years in the American Dream and some of it's been lots of fun and some of it's almost had me on the first flight back to the UK. I still struggle with being a stay-at-home-mum/mom. What happened to that career I had?
I blog to share my parenting and expat experiences, but really it's my stress reliever to being a Brit out of water...